Story and Photos: Spencer Fleming
Tuesday night (8/29) the indie electro-pop group Cannons graced Omaha with a sold out show at The Slowdown on their first ever headline tour. Joining the show were two fun acts Jane Leo and New Constellations.
With the room completely packed there was little room to move but I made way up towards the front for some good shots. As I arrived I saw my friend John and I met some new friends from Des Moines. It was awesome trading bands we liked and shows we've attended. I actually discovered the headliner Cannons a few months ago when John sent me some of their videos. I was really feeling the vibe and knew it was something I should check out. John always has good recommendations.
We settled in for the first act Jane Leo from Austin, TX. This young duo had a ton of energy! Their keyboard and guitar driven tunes sounded like something from the 80s with a new twist. They reminded me of Human League meets The B52s. Their funky outfits definitely called back to Valley Girl or Weird Science. For 30 minutes they had the Slowdown clapping along and jamming out. It was a great start to the show!
Next up was New Constellations from Portland, Oregon. While these guys were also in that indie-pop lane, they had a bit more psychedelic feel. Their songs take you on a journey of swirling guitars and punchy synths. Lead singer Harlee and guitarist Josh are lifelong friends who started out making music in Harlee's bedroom at 14. Just before the pandemic they were to play their very first show and then things shut down. Rather than calling it quits, they continued to practice and release new songs. They're now on their very first tour with Cannons and having a blast. Harlee kept mentioning to the crowd what an honor it was just to be playing these shows. You could tell they were really enjoying the set and the crowd was too. A lot of the songs were accompanied by waving hands and syncopated clapping. I look forward to catching New Constellations down the road.
The lights went dim and the headliners for the evening Cannons stepped on stage. The crowd was going wild ready to sing along, dance, and vibe to the L.A. hitmakers. Lead singer Michelle Joy was dressed to the nines with heels and a sparkly sequined outfit. As she crooned over warbly synths and funky disco-adjacent guitars a giant screen lit up behind her with images of palm trees and sunsets. This helped give the room a dreamy vacation vibe and the crowd swayed along to the sun-kissed soundtrack.
Michelle greeted the crowd and said it was the band's first time playing in Omaha. She mentioned that they just finished their album a few weeks ago and they'd be playing some of the new songs. The crowd lit up with excitement as the band kicked into one of their biggest hits "Talk Talk". For over 90 minutes Cannons had The Slowdown crowd floating! They played a great mix of newer songs and classics from their three full length albums. With several sold out shows and over 2 million monthly Spotify listeners this band is on their way to the top! It was an amazing show and I'm so glad my friend John turned me on to Cannons.
Huge thanks to Cannons management for photo access. Check out the pics below and let us know what your favorite part of the show was!
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